December 28, 2025 • 30 mins
It’s the end of 2025! How has your year been? It’s time to turn a corner, and that’s a good thing. Today we’re talking 2026 trends!
What is a trend, according to Dean? Something like the color of the year, according to Pantone. Dean has no problem with that, but what he doesn’t like is when home decor is treated like disposable fashion that you change out every year or two.
In other news, home renovation shows like those you see on HDTV are seeing a sharp decline in viewership, so that’s why networks are bringing back the classic home shows we know and love.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, The
House Whisper on demand on the iHeartRadio app. I am
Dean Sharp, the House Whisperer, where every week I guide
you to better understand that place where you live. Whether
home for you is a castle or a cottage, it
(00:22):
matter to me. You know why, because luxury is lovely,
But luxury does not a great homemake. It is design
that matters most, and I invite you to think of
it just that way. Design makes all the difference. Every
house deserves it, every house should enjoy it because once
good design is at work in your home, that is
(00:44):
when your house has a path forward toward becoming truly,
truly an extraordinary home. Today on the show, here we
are at the very very end of twenty twenty five.
I don't know how you feel about twenty twenty five,
but man, this Sharp family, we have been through the
ringer this year on more than one front, I will
tell you, and it has not been an easy year
(01:09):
for us off the air. On the air, things have
been lovely. Time with you is something that I always
look forward to, but just a number of different things,
and that I'm not going to go into but I'll
tell you this, the end of the year could not
come soon enough. And turning the corner is something and
(01:30):
started to happen here, and that's a good thing. And
we're very very much looking forward to what twenty twenty
six brings in the hope that it brings a little
more up and a little less trial along with it.
And so I'm here with you. We're closing out the
year together. Here we are. It is the twenty eighth, right,
(01:52):
Today's the twenty eighth Sunday, the twenty eighth. This is
the final broadcast for US of twenty twenty five, and
of course I'll be right back here next week in
twenty twenty six as we move forward. But uh, for
our final broadcast, as is become my custom, I am
going to spend some time talking to you today about
(02:14):
trends and predictions. If you are in any way interested
in home renovation, home repair, home remodeling, which most of
you are, because that's why you're here with me, then
you've probably got your you know, toe dipped into various
pools of media, whether it's social media or YouTube videos
(02:37):
or you know, HDTV or that kind of stuff, and
you're being baraged right now with the end of the
year trends coming in twenty twenty six stuff. And it
may at first blush seem like, well, Dean, you're doing
the exact same thing, but I'm not.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
If you know me, if you've been a fan of
the show for any length of time, then you you
know that I'm not real big on the trendeeness of
interior design stuff and whatever is out there in the
home improvement world. And I'm really big on long term
movements and what it takes to instruct you and to
(03:18):
help you with the principles, the unchanging principles of design
that get applied in different ways over the years, but
get applied in your life and in your home in
meaningful ways so that you can truly transform your home
to a custom entity that magnifies and amplifies and assists
(03:42):
you to live your best life. That's what a home
for me is all about. That's why I'm in the
custom home design business. That's why i do architectural design
and interior design and landscape design because I'm interested in
people having that all important HQ for their lives to
(04:04):
be the most that it can be and so on
we go. I want to talk to you though about
how to discern between the trendiness of the trends and
what's really sticking. And I want to talk to you
today meaningfully about things that actually are changing and shifting
and giving you a heads up. Now, if you're a
longtime listener of the show, most of the things that
(04:25):
I'm going to discuss today will not come as a
surprise to you because you've heard me say them before.
And I'll tell you what I'm a little proud of
that that as we filter out all of the changing
trends and focus in on the things that matter most,
we come back continually to the principles that I discussed
(04:47):
with you on a regular basis here. So I'm glad
you're here, and I'm glad we get to have this
conversation today, and that's where we're going to go. And
of course we'll also take your calls and let me
give you the number right now you can call in
at any time. We'll be looking toward the middle of
the show to go to calls as we do during
the Big Show here on Sunday mornings. The number to
(05:07):
reach me eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three
three the numeral two. Ask Dean eight three three, hit
the two and then just spell out ask a Dean
A three three two Ask Dean design, construction, landscape, DIY, decor,
whatever has you scratch in your head about your home.
(05:28):
I got you. We'll put our heads together, we'll get
it figured out all right now normally right now, I say,
sitting across the table from me, she just stepped out
and so she's missing her intro. But of course Tina
is here today, my best friend in all the world,
my design partner, my better half, the one and only
person who I absolutely want love and need to go
(05:53):
through the trials and the adventures that we've gone through
this year with. She is the one, the one, the Tina,
and I know you guys love.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Her as well.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
She's going to be popping in here in a few
minutes and she'll say hi when she gets back into
the studio. So that's where we're going today. I'll give
you a little teaser before we go to break, and
then we'll come back and dive right into it. I
want to start by taking a look at so called
trends versus what I call real movements, and what these
(06:28):
things are tied to, and maybe give you a little
behind the scenes how the sausage is made when it
comes to designer trends and stuff and where these things
come from, so that you can once and for all
kind of see them for what they are and not
be bothered by them, not be bothered in the sense
that you're being made to feel guilty or bad that
somehow you just spent all this money on your home
(06:49):
and now some influence are on social media is staring
at you saying, oh, that's so yesterday, it's so out.
That kind of stuff is just ridiculous. But I want
to show you exactly where some of it comes from
and what you really should be looking toward when you're
trying to figure out what to do next. Because there
(07:10):
are shifts and movements, but I prefer to refer to
them as movements. So we'll take a look at the
so called trends versus real movements, and we'll do it
right after we take it with break.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
You are Home with Dean Sharp the house Whisper.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Thanks for joining us on the program today. This final
Sunday of twenty twenty five. This is the last Sunday
of this year, and by the time we speak again
next week, it'll be next year. And joining me in
studio right now, quite unexpectedly is my very special little
(07:54):
studio guest Olivia is here.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
How you doing, Bud? Good? Yeah, how's your morning going
so far? Relaxed?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Good, Just talk right into the mic so everybody can
hear you right there, right there. Okay, you're having a
relaxing morning. Yes, excellent, excellent. So this is the end
of the year. Looking forward, you're you're like seventeen years
old right now?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
How old are you?
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I'm I'm nine years old looking forward to twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Do you have any goals? Yes? What's that?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
So?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I do horse riding, So my goal is to get
like do better jumps.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Bigger jumps, way bigger. Wait, how like right now? What
are the jumps that you're doing right now in your
equestrian riding?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Many crossroads at the bought on Dakota.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
So you're doing you're doing so the bars are crossed,
they're on the ground, but they're crossed at the ground,
so they're a little bit up and how high do
you want that bar to be by the end of
the year ten feet tall? No, okay, what.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Probably lie on a meter that's high?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
A meter like three feet up? Okay, all right? Do
you want to wish everybody a very happy new year?
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Happy new Year? All right, Bud, thanks for joining me
in studio. You're the best. I love you. Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
That was Olivia, my buddy, our granddaughter, who is lounging
and relaxing this morning. You just saw her in her pajamas,
in her Mickey Mouse t shirt, and now she's returning
to her room to watch videos, watch more videos.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I'm sure. So, thanks Bud for being in here. Appreciate you.
All right.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I had to throw that in there. Why Cuz she's important.
That's why she's important.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
All right, let's talk about what I was alluding to
in the first segment, these so called trends versus what
I call real movements. So what is a so called trend?
According to Dean, Well, it is things like the color
of the year. Now, I have nothing against Pantone coming
(10:18):
out with the color of the year. Every year, every
paint company comes out with their color of the year.
You know, it's fine, fine, you want to draw attention
to the coolness of a particular color. I don't have
any trouble with that. But the issue that I have
is when trends for home design, everything from architecture to
(10:39):
decor gets treated like fashion, like like it's just a
blouse or a shirt that we bought that we can
toss away next year and buy another one of a
different style, as if you know that bathroom remodel you
just did, or the whole house remodel that you're planning
is just something that you know, you know, we do
(10:59):
that this year. In a couple of years from now,
we'll just change it all again. Nobody does that. That's ridiculous,
And so the whole idea of the year stuff I
just kind of rejected out of hand. Now understand. I
keep track of it all. I wade through the swamp
of it all because I am I am always interested
(11:20):
in what's new and what's evolving and what's changing and shifting.
But never in the world do I lay that at
our client's feet and say, here's the thing what you
just did, or that thing that's so out. So so
called trends like things like the color of the year
or the pattern of the year, or the color palette,
(11:41):
vibe of the year, whatever of the year. Thing is,
they are fast, and they are frustratingly fickle.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Real movements, real movements developed slowly. Now, evolution is real,
the changing of things is real. But evolution is also slow, okay,
and so it doesn't sweep by you at blinding speed.
So called trends are driven by this whole fashion idea.
And here's the thing that you should really think about
that real movements are driven not by fashion but by architecture,
(12:14):
cultural shifts, and building science.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay, I'm going to say that again.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Real movements in the areas of your affecting your home
are driven not by fashion, not by colors of the year,
but by architecture, cultural shifts, and building science. In other words,
the way that our lives are changing, on how we
live them that affects a home. The way that architects,
(12:40):
real architects actually conceive of and adjust and innovate, that
affects the way that we live in a home. And
of course the science of building, which is the ability
to do certain things based on if we can physically
do it in the physical world. And the other thing
that I have against so called trends, to name but
(13:03):
a few. Is that so called trends are self defeating.
Now what do I mean by that? I mean that
this is new trends are intended to break the mass
adoption of the last trend. Right, isn't that the idea?
This is the new trend?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
All right?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
We're getting rid of the old trend. So therefore, once
that new trend is accepted, once it's an accepted trend
and becomes a trend, it's destined to be replaced. So
why get on that roller coaster? I don't want you there?
All right, Well we come back. Let's talk a little
bit about trends that are driven by corporate interests and
(13:40):
how that affects you more than you think. Your Home
with Dean Sharp the house Whisper.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Here to transform your ordinary house into an extraordinary home.
It is the final show of twenty twenty five. And
looking forward, we're talking about trends and predictions, not the
kind that get everywhere else.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Nope.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
I have a very different perspective on those things. And
it's not because I'm done with change not at all.
Everybody knows me, knows that I'm an early adopter when
it comes to most changes and most shifts in the
building and architecture and design industry.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
But I'm a realist. I work in the real world.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Of home design, and I know all too well that
the so called trends that get touted every year are
just that they're just smoke and mirrors most of it,
and they don't have lasting quality to them. So we're
talking about those, and I'm just trying to give you
some of my perspective, a little bit of industry perspective
(14:54):
without boring you, but to give you that insight. So
another thing about so called trends that I mentioned right
before we went to the break is that they are
so often driven by corporate interests. And why is that significant? Well,
it's significant to you because you don't want to be
a rube. You don't want to be subject to that,
(15:16):
not if you're really trying to transform your home into
an extraordinary space. And I'm not saying that there isn't
a place to buy things, you know, that are most
affordable from a large corporate outlet, like a home depot
or something like that. But I do want you to
know this that corporate interests favor concepts that can be
(15:39):
reproduced in mass. You know, when Home Depot chooses to
commit to a particular material to appear in every one
of their twenty three hundred stores, you better know that
they want a lot of people to feel the need
to do the exact same thing. Okay, that's what I'm
(16:02):
talking about trends being driven by corporate It it happens
in media as well.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
You remember house flipping, of course.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
You do, because it's still the term that people throw
around house flipping. House flipping has been around since houses
have been around, okay, on some level, but it really
became viral during the financial crisis of two thousand and eight,
when foreclosures were abundant, when people were losing their homes,
(16:33):
when banks were reclaim you know all of that mess
that happened in two thousand and eight house flipping. There
were so many foreclosures on the market, so much inventory
at undervalued prices, that investors were grabbing every undervalued property
they could find. They were putting some money into cleaning
them up and selling them for substantial bucks. Right in
(16:56):
the real world, that wave, I tell you did not
last very long because very large corporate interests started buying
blocks of those homes instead of individuals showing up for
the local auction. Some I mean, I was present at
a couple I have We never got into the house
flipping side of the thing, had no desire to, but
(17:19):
I was asked by multiple clients at the time, can
you assist us with this or that? Okay, So showed
up at a couple of those auctions at the you know,
at the local county you know civic center where foreclosures
were all listed out and now they were going to
be auctioned off, and the whole bunches of people from
(17:40):
the community showed up looking for their target home to
try and bid in an auction. That happened for a
few weeks, and I think about maybe three months into
the financial crisis. What started happening was an individual would
show up in that crowd, an individual with a suitcase
full of cash, and that individual was representing a very
(18:03):
large corporate investment interest, and they would simply step up
and buy outbid everyone, and buy every house. And that
started to be the thing that started happening, and those
auctions just went away because again corporate interests got involved,
but that wasn't my direct point. My direct point was
this house flipping started in eight as a viral thing
(18:24):
here in the US. It gained popularity during the financial crisis,
right But in the real world it didn't last very
long because the inventory of those undervalued properties dried up
pretty quick. But today still it's a thing, even though
today flipping is notoriously difficult in today's housing market because
(18:49):
houses are not primarily undervalued. You have to find the rare,
rare thing, weird circumstance that everybody else has missed, and
you've got to be very careful on your remodeling budget,
your flipping budget. I don't really call it a remodel
because it doesn't most of the time. It's not really
a remodel. It's more superficial. But the point is, why
(19:10):
is it still a thing? I'll tell you why it's
still a thing. Corporate home improvement media latched onto flipping
as an easy formula to make hit TV shows. And
you know, flip in this and flip flip. How many
shows are on the home improvement to networks that have
(19:31):
to do with flipping. That's not because flipping is a
big thing these days, or a realistic thing. But it's
because it's a corporate thing, and corporations embrace anything that
they can reproduce in mass, inexpensively, formulaically and get a
lot of people excited about. So home improvement media is
(19:53):
what has stretched flipping into twenty twenty five and twenty
twenty six and will continue to do so for most
people who kind of numbingly just sort of watched the stuff.
But the reality is it's just not there. Okay, But
that too is shifting because here's the thing, you want
a little look behind the curtain. Major home improvement networks,
especially like HGTV, are facing significant struggles plummeting viewership. I
(20:20):
was just checking on this this morning, especially among young adults,
high production costs for renovation shows, increase competition from social media,
the economy, the challenging economy. HGTV has lost nearly half
its total audience over the last eight years, with sharp
drops in the crucial eighteen to forty nine demographic. Big
(20:44):
drops there, Okay, so what's the network's response. They're bringing
back old shows like Property Brothers and House Hunters and
things like that. Why because people got attached to the hosts,
not because they're great design shows, not because you actually
learn anything from these shows, but it got attached to
the host and they were kind of proven winners. And
(21:07):
there have been so many mass cancelations of shows across
the corporate networks. Right now, it's a tough time for media.
Media is in transition, lots of different transmissions transitions. So
even corporate media networks are exploring social media friendly formats
and lower cost content and influencers. Oh, I really have
(21:32):
trouble saying that word. Anyway. The point is this real change,
not trends, real movements. They don't follow these corporate trends.
They don't follow fashion trends. They don't follow the things
that flutter by on a yearly basis. Real shifts follow
(21:57):
the evolution of architecture, the evolution of building science, and
the change of cultural values and lifestyles. Now, those things
can happen fast at times, but they happen much much
slower than the Oh, you know what, the beij On
beige look, it's totally out now. Yeah, I don't really care.
(22:19):
If beij On beige is what works for you, then
guess what it's in. And we're going to do it
to the excellent standard that your life deserves. And if
it's not your thing, that's fine, but we're not going
to adopt it and then throw it away. What we're
interested in in this long run is you and the
architecture that you live in, what it's capable of becoming,
(22:42):
and what you want it to become. So when we
continue right after the break, we're going to talk. I'm
going to make it more real for you about actual movements,
real movements, and there have been some in the last
few years, some significant movements towards a new kind of
home architecture. And everybody who's planning a remodel or thinking
(23:07):
about making any changes in their home should at least
know what these things are so they can evaluate whether
to adopt them. And you will not be disappointed if
you do, because they don't flitter by like trends. We'll
talk about that right after the break. You are Home
with Dean Sharp the House Whisper.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Here to tell you that every home deserves great design,
especially yours. Why because that's where you are, my friend,
that is your home base.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Your HQ of your life.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
It deserves great design because a great home helps amplify
the best parts of your life and push that life forward.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
And that's why I want that for you. And there
you go.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Okay, we're talking about so and real movements that we
can look towards twenty twenty six and see happening. And
I've kind of I don't want to spend too much
time on the so called trends. I don't want to
be overly critical about all. I've done enough of that now.
I want to turn for the rest of the show
to the positives of what's really happening out there, not
(24:19):
the what's in fashion right at this moment, because it's well,
I'll talk about that in a second. Anyway, that's a
misnomer on so many levels, because everything is in right now.
Everything is in as long as it's done well and
it's done according to who you are, and that's my
bottom line period the end. So we're going to continue
talking about that, but I want to turn the corner
(24:40):
now before I get back to it, though, I want
to let you know, coming up after the next break,
it's a second hour of the show, so it's time
to go to the phones, time to take calls. And
so if you have a question about your home, whatever's
got you scratch in your head, you get to set
the agenda. I'm talking about trends and prediction and UH
(25:01):
movements into twenty twenty six. When it comes to our calls,
you get to set the agenda. So design, construction, DIY,
inside the house, outside, hardscape, landscape. I got you. We'll
put our heads together, we will get it figured out.
Here is the number to reach me, eight three three two.
Ask Dean A three to three, the numeral two, and
(25:22):
then you just spell out ask Dean eight three three
two Ask Dean. It's just that simple. You can listen
to the show while you're in the queue. Give us
a call. The phone lines are open right now. We'll
be going to the phones after the next break.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
So, setting aside the flippancy of come and go trends,
setting aside the way we are regularly shaped moved, one
might dare say, manipulated by corporate interests when it comes
to the home improvement market. Setting those things aside, let's
(26:00):
talk about things that are really changing. And they're changing slower,
but they are changing more substantially. And here it is,
We've had home architectural styles since the founding of this
nation that evolved from early New England East Coast forms
(26:20):
like colonial Cape cod. It moved through more ornate eras
like Victorian, which was a very long era with very
many several facets to it, and then come along the
twentieth century it moved into functional styles like craftsman, ranch,
mid century Modern, and it has kind of all culminated.
(26:43):
And they really, by the way, has not been one
new major school of design in America since mid century Modern,
unless you want to take what may be the next one,
which is just contemporary kind of Scandinavian can temporary design.
But all of that has culminated in today's popular sort
(27:05):
of well modern farmhouse would be an example of it.
It is not a major school of design. It is
simply an example of taking a more classic, nostalgic architectural
style and merging it as a hybrid into contemporary twenty
first century life. Okay, merging it with some of the
(27:28):
the movements that I'm going to be describing to you,
because that's where we're at today. So the point is,
when it comes to architecture, it doesn't matter what you like.
Whatever you like, let's go for it. Colonial Cape cod
Victorian craftsman, ranch, Rancho, Spanish, Mediterranean, French, you name it.
(27:48):
Whatever your thing is, let's take that and let's find
a way of expressing it with all of the best
parts of it's nostalgic qualities and all the best parts
of modern contemporary twenty first century building science and design
(28:09):
and what we're learning and continue to learn about the
best way to live in a home. So modern farmhouse
is just an example of that. It's gotten very popular.
A lot of people are sick of it now. I
don't care. It doesn't matter. If that's your thing, then
that's your thing. We're going to make a great modern
farmhouse for you. But modern farmhouse is a great example
because farmhouse style is nostalgic, modern is contemporary, and you
(28:33):
merge the two together and you get something. If you
do it well, that's great. So these styles, they blend.
Revivals come along, they bring historical elements back into modern builds.
But overall, the current movement is not about a singular
new look, but a fundamental shift toward homes that are
hear me no, more efficient, more personalized, and more supportive
(28:59):
of physical and mental health. These are the movements that
are happening. I'm going to repeat it. The real movement
in home design that is happening, the real one, the
one that's not going to pass away, not going to
be out at the end of twenty twenty six. It's
not going to be out ever. Homes that are more efficient,
more personalized, and more supportive of physical and mental health.
(29:25):
There is not one singular news style emerging, but shifts
that are happening in all of them towards real, personalized, healthy,
physically mentally healthy designs and more efficiency and will when
we return to this topic, I'll start spelling out how
some of those things practically work out in your home.
(29:47):
But when we come back, we've got calls on the board.
We're going to the phones. Your home with Dean Sharp,
the House Whisperer. This has been Home with Dean Sharp,
the House whisper into the live broadcast on KFI AM
six forty every Saturday morning from six to eight Pacific time,
and every Sunday morning from nine to noon Pacific time,
(30:09):
or anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app
KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, The
House Whisper on demand on the iHeartRadio app. I am
Dean Sharp, the House Whisperer, where every week I guide
you to better understand that place where you live. Whether
home for you is a castle or a cottage, it
(00:22):
matter to me. You know why, because luxury is lovely,
But luxury does not a great homemake. It is design
that matters most, and I invite you to think of
it just that way. Design makes all the difference. Every
house deserves it, every house should enjoy it because once
good design is at work in your home, that is
(00:44):
when your house has a path forward toward becoming truly,
truly an extraordinary home. Today on the show, here we
are at the very very end of twenty twenty five.
I don't know how you feel about twenty twenty five,
but man, this Sharp family, we have been through the
ringer this year on more than one front, I will
tell you, and it has not been an easy year
(01:09):
for us off the air. On the air, things have
been lovely. Time with you is something that I always
look forward to, but just a number of different things,
and that I'm not going to go into but I'll
tell you this, the end of the year could not
come soon enough. And turning the corner is something and
(01:30):
started to happen here, and that's a good thing. And
we're very very much looking forward to what twenty twenty
six brings in the hope that it brings a little
more up and a little less trial along with it.
And so I'm here with you. We're closing out the
year together. Here we are. It is the twenty eighth, right,
(01:52):
Today's the twenty eighth Sunday, the twenty eighth. This is
the final broadcast for US of twenty twenty five, and
of course I'll be right back here next week in
twenty twenty six as we move forward. But uh, for
our final broadcast, as is become my custom, I am
going to spend some time talking to you today about
(02:14):
trends and predictions. If you are in any way interested
in home renovation, home repair, home remodeling, which most of
you are, because that's why you're here with me, then
you've probably got your you know, toe dipped into various
pools of media, whether it's social media or YouTube videos
(02:37):
or you know, HDTV or that kind of stuff, and
you're being baraged right now with the end of the
year trends coming in twenty twenty six stuff. And it
may at first blush seem like, well, Dean, you're doing
the exact same thing, but I'm not.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
If you know me, if you've been a fan of
the show for any length of time, then you you
know that I'm not real big on the trendeeness of
interior design stuff and whatever is out there in the
home improvement world. And I'm really big on long term
movements and what it takes to instruct you and to
(03:18):
help you with the principles, the unchanging principles of design
that get applied in different ways over the years, but
get applied in your life and in your home in
meaningful ways so that you can truly transform your home
to a custom entity that magnifies and amplifies and assists
(03:42):
you to live your best life. That's what a home
for me is all about. That's why I'm in the
custom home design business. That's why i do architectural design
and interior design and landscape design because I'm interested in
people having that all important HQ for their lives to
(04:04):
be the most that it can be and so on
we go. I want to talk to you though about
how to discern between the trendiness of the trends and
what's really sticking. And I want to talk to you
today meaningfully about things that actually are changing and shifting
and giving you a heads up. Now, if you're a
longtime listener of the show, most of the things that
(04:25):
I'm going to discuss today will not come as a
surprise to you because you've heard me say them before.
And I'll tell you what I'm a little proud of
that that as we filter out all of the changing
trends and focus in on the things that matter most,
we come back continually to the principles that I discussed
(04:47):
with you on a regular basis here. So I'm glad
you're here, and I'm glad we get to have this
conversation today, and that's where we're going to go. And
of course we'll also take your calls and let me
give you the number right now you can call in
at any time. We'll be looking toward the middle of
the show to go to calls as we do during
the Big Show here on Sunday mornings. The number to
(05:07):
reach me eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three
three the numeral two. Ask Dean eight three three, hit
the two and then just spell out ask a Dean
A three three two Ask Dean design, construction, landscape, DIY, decor,
whatever has you scratch in your head about your home.
(05:28):
I got you. We'll put our heads together, we'll get
it figured out all right now normally right now, I say,
sitting across the table from me, she just stepped out
and so she's missing her intro. But of course Tina
is here today, my best friend in all the world,
my design partner, my better half, the one and only
person who I absolutely want love and need to go
(05:53):
through the trials and the adventures that we've gone through
this year with. She is the one, the one, the Tina,
and I know you guys love.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Her as well.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
She's going to be popping in here in a few
minutes and she'll say hi when she gets back into
the studio. So that's where we're going today. I'll give
you a little teaser before we go to break, and
then we'll come back and dive right into it. I
want to start by taking a look at so called
trends versus what I call real movements, and what these
(06:28):
things are tied to, and maybe give you a little
behind the scenes how the sausage is made when it
comes to designer trends and stuff and where these things
come from, so that you can once and for all
kind of see them for what they are and not
be bothered by them, not be bothered in the sense
that you're being made to feel guilty or bad that
somehow you just spent all this money on your home
(06:49):
and now some influence are on social media is staring
at you saying, oh, that's so yesterday, it's so out.
That kind of stuff is just ridiculous. But I want
to show you exactly where some of it comes from
and what you really should be looking toward when you're
trying to figure out what to do next. Because there
(07:10):
are shifts and movements, but I prefer to refer to
them as movements. So we'll take a look at the
so called trends versus real movements, and we'll do it
right after we take it with break.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
You are Home with Dean Sharp the house Whisper.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Thanks for joining us on the program today. This final
Sunday of twenty twenty five. This is the last Sunday
of this year, and by the time we speak again
next week, it'll be next year. And joining me in
studio right now, quite unexpectedly is my very special little
(07:54):
studio guest Olivia is here.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
How you doing, Bud? Good? Yeah, how's your morning going
so far? Relaxed?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Good, Just talk right into the mic so everybody can
hear you right there, right there. Okay, you're having a
relaxing morning. Yes, excellent, excellent. So this is the end
of the year. Looking forward, you're you're like seventeen years
old right now?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
How old are you?
Speaker 1 (08:19):
I'm I'm nine years old looking forward to twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Do you have any goals? Yes? What's that?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
So?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I do horse riding, So my goal is to get
like do better jumps.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Bigger jumps, way bigger. Wait, how like right now? What
are the jumps that you're doing right now in your
equestrian riding?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Many crossroads at the bought on Dakota.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
So you're doing you're doing so the bars are crossed,
they're on the ground, but they're crossed at the ground,
so they're a little bit up and how high do
you want that bar to be by the end of
the year ten feet tall? No, okay, what.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Probably lie on a meter that's high?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
A meter like three feet up? Okay, all right? Do
you want to wish everybody a very happy new year?
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Happy new Year? All right, Bud, thanks for joining me
in studio. You're the best. I love you. Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
That was Olivia, my buddy, our granddaughter, who is lounging
and relaxing this morning. You just saw her in her pajamas,
in her Mickey Mouse t shirt, and now she's returning
to her room to watch videos, watch more videos.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I'm sure. So, thanks Bud for being in here. Appreciate you.
All right.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I had to throw that in there. Why Cuz she's important.
That's why she's important.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
All right, let's talk about what I was alluding to
in the first segment, these so called trends versus what
I call real movements. So what is a so called trend?
According to Dean, Well, it is things like the color
of the year. Now, I have nothing against Pantone coming
(10:18):
out with the color of the year. Every year, every
paint company comes out with their color of the year.
You know, it's fine, fine, you want to draw attention
to the coolness of a particular color. I don't have
any trouble with that. But the issue that I have
is when trends for home design, everything from architecture to
(10:39):
decor gets treated like fashion, like like it's just a
blouse or a shirt that we bought that we can
toss away next year and buy another one of a
different style, as if you know that bathroom remodel you
just did, or the whole house remodel that you're planning
is just something that you know, you know, we do
(10:59):
that this year. In a couple of years from now,
we'll just change it all again. Nobody does that. That's ridiculous,
And so the whole idea of the year stuff I
just kind of rejected out of hand. Now understand. I
keep track of it all. I wade through the swamp
of it all because I am I am always interested
(11:20):
in what's new and what's evolving and what's changing and shifting.
But never in the world do I lay that at
our client's feet and say, here's the thing what you
just did, or that thing that's so out. So so
called trends like things like the color of the year
or the pattern of the year, or the color palette,
(11:41):
vibe of the year, whatever of the year. Thing is,
they are fast, and they are frustratingly fickle.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Real movements, real movements developed slowly. Now, evolution is real,
the changing of things is real. But evolution is also slow, okay,
and so it doesn't sweep by you at blinding speed.
So called trends are driven by this whole fashion idea.
And here's the thing that you should really think about
that real movements are driven not by fashion but by architecture,
(12:14):
cultural shifts, and building science.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Okay, I'm going to say that again.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Real movements in the areas of your affecting your home
are driven not by fashion, not by colors of the year,
but by architecture, cultural shifts, and building science. In other words,
the way that our lives are changing, on how we
live them that affects a home. The way that architects,
(12:40):
real architects actually conceive of and adjust and innovate, that
affects the way that we live in a home. And
of course the science of building, which is the ability
to do certain things based on if we can physically
do it in the physical world. And the other thing
that I have against so called trends, to name but
(13:03):
a few. Is that so called trends are self defeating.
Now what do I mean by that? I mean that
this is new trends are intended to break the mass
adoption of the last trend. Right, isn't that the idea?
This is the new trend?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
All right?
Speaker 1 (13:19):
We're getting rid of the old trend. So therefore, once
that new trend is accepted, once it's an accepted trend
and becomes a trend, it's destined to be replaced. So
why get on that roller coaster? I don't want you there?
All right, Well we come back. Let's talk a little
bit about trends that are driven by corporate interests and
(13:40):
how that affects you more than you think. Your Home
with Dean Sharp the house Whisper.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Here to transform your ordinary house into an extraordinary home.
It is the final show of twenty twenty five. And
looking forward, we're talking about trends and predictions, not the
kind that get everywhere else.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Nope.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
I have a very different perspective on those things. And
it's not because I'm done with change not at all.
Everybody knows me, knows that I'm an early adopter when
it comes to most changes and most shifts in the
building and architecture and design industry.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
But I'm a realist. I work in the real world.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Of home design, and I know all too well that
the so called trends that get touted every year are
just that they're just smoke and mirrors most of it,
and they don't have lasting quality to them. So we're
talking about those, and I'm just trying to give you
some of my perspective, a little bit of industry perspective
(14:54):
without boring you, but to give you that insight. So
another thing about so called trends that I mentioned right
before we went to the break is that they are
so often driven by corporate interests. And why is that significant? Well,
it's significant to you because you don't want to be
a rube. You don't want to be subject to that,
(15:16):
not if you're really trying to transform your home into
an extraordinary space. And I'm not saying that there isn't
a place to buy things, you know, that are most
affordable from a large corporate outlet, like a home depot
or something like that. But I do want you to
know this that corporate interests favor concepts that can be
(15:39):
reproduced in mass. You know, when Home Depot chooses to
commit to a particular material to appear in every one
of their twenty three hundred stores, you better know that
they want a lot of people to feel the need
to do the exact same thing. Okay, that's what I'm
(16:02):
talking about trends being driven by corporate It it happens
in media as well.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
You remember house flipping, of course.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
You do, because it's still the term that people throw
around house flipping. House flipping has been around since houses
have been around, okay, on some level, but it really
became viral during the financial crisis of two thousand and eight,
when foreclosures were abundant, when people were losing their homes,
(16:33):
when banks were reclaim you know all of that mess
that happened in two thousand and eight house flipping. There
were so many foreclosures on the market, so much inventory
at undervalued prices, that investors were grabbing every undervalued property
they could find. They were putting some money into cleaning
them up and selling them for substantial bucks. Right in
(16:56):
the real world, that wave, I tell you did not
last very long because very large corporate interests started buying
blocks of those homes instead of individuals showing up for
the local auction. Some I mean, I was present at
a couple I have We never got into the house
flipping side of the thing, had no desire to, but
(17:19):
I was asked by multiple clients at the time, can
you assist us with this or that? Okay, So showed
up at a couple of those auctions at the you know,
at the local county you know civic center where foreclosures
were all listed out and now they were going to
be auctioned off, and the whole bunches of people from
(17:40):
the community showed up looking for their target home to
try and bid in an auction. That happened for a
few weeks, and I think about maybe three months into
the financial crisis. What started happening was an individual would
show up in that crowd, an individual with a suitcase
full of cash, and that individual was representing a very
(18:03):
large corporate investment interest, and they would simply step up
and buy outbid everyone, and buy every house. And that
started to be the thing that started happening, and those
auctions just went away because again corporate interests got involved,
but that wasn't my direct point. My direct point was
this house flipping started in eight as a viral thing
(18:24):
here in the US. It gained popularity during the financial crisis,
right But in the real world it didn't last very
long because the inventory of those undervalued properties dried up
pretty quick. But today still it's a thing, even though
today flipping is notoriously difficult in today's housing market because
(18:49):
houses are not primarily undervalued. You have to find the rare,
rare thing, weird circumstance that everybody else has missed, and
you've got to be very careful on your remodeling budget,
your flipping budget. I don't really call it a remodel
because it doesn't most of the time. It's not really
a remodel. It's more superficial. But the point is, why
(19:10):
is it still a thing? I'll tell you why it's
still a thing. Corporate home improvement media latched onto flipping
as an easy formula to make hit TV shows. And
you know, flip in this and flip flip. How many
shows are on the home improvement to networks that have
(19:31):
to do with flipping. That's not because flipping is a
big thing these days, or a realistic thing. But it's
because it's a corporate thing, and corporations embrace anything that
they can reproduce in mass, inexpensively, formulaically and get a
lot of people excited about. So home improvement media is
(19:53):
what has stretched flipping into twenty twenty five and twenty
twenty six and will continue to do so for most
people who kind of numbingly just sort of watched the stuff.
But the reality is it's just not there. Okay, But
that too is shifting because here's the thing, you want
a little look behind the curtain. Major home improvement networks,
especially like HGTV, are facing significant struggles plummeting viewership. I
(20:20):
was just checking on this this morning, especially among young adults,
high production costs for renovation shows, increase competition from social media,
the economy, the challenging economy. HGTV has lost nearly half
its total audience over the last eight years, with sharp
drops in the crucial eighteen to forty nine demographic. Big
(20:44):
drops there, Okay, so what's the network's response. They're bringing
back old shows like Property Brothers and House Hunters and
things like that. Why because people got attached to the hosts,
not because they're great design shows, not because you actually
learn anything from these shows, but it got attached to
the host and they were kind of proven winners. And
(21:07):
there have been so many mass cancelations of shows across
the corporate networks. Right now, it's a tough time for media.
Media is in transition, lots of different transmissions transitions. So
even corporate media networks are exploring social media friendly formats
and lower cost content and influencers. Oh, I really have
(21:32):
trouble saying that word. Anyway. The point is this real change,
not trends, real movements. They don't follow these corporate trends.
They don't follow fashion trends. They don't follow the things
that flutter by on a yearly basis. Real shifts follow
(21:57):
the evolution of architecture, the evolution of building science, and
the change of cultural values and lifestyles. Now, those things
can happen fast at times, but they happen much much
slower than the Oh, you know what, the beij On
beige look, it's totally out now. Yeah, I don't really care.
(22:19):
If beij On beige is what works for you, then
guess what it's in. And we're going to do it
to the excellent standard that your life deserves. And if
it's not your thing, that's fine, but we're not going
to adopt it and then throw it away. What we're
interested in in this long run is you and the
architecture that you live in, what it's capable of becoming,
(22:42):
and what you want it to become. So when we
continue right after the break, we're going to talk. I'm
going to make it more real for you about actual movements,
real movements, and there have been some in the last
few years, some significant movements towards a new kind of
home architecture. And everybody who's planning a remodel or thinking
(23:07):
about making any changes in their home should at least
know what these things are so they can evaluate whether
to adopt them. And you will not be disappointed if
you do, because they don't flitter by like trends. We'll
talk about that right after the break. You are Home
with Dean Sharp the House Whisper.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Here to tell you that every home deserves great design,
especially yours. Why because that's where you are, my friend,
that is your home base.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Your HQ of your life.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
It deserves great design because a great home helps amplify
the best parts of your life and push that life forward.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
And that's why I want that for you. And there
you go.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Okay, we're talking about so and real movements that we
can look towards twenty twenty six and see happening. And
I've kind of I don't want to spend too much
time on the so called trends. I don't want to
be overly critical about all. I've done enough of that now.
I want to turn for the rest of the show
to the positives of what's really happening out there, not
(24:19):
the what's in fashion right at this moment, because it's well,
I'll talk about that in a second. Anyway, that's a
misnomer on so many levels, because everything is in right now.
Everything is in as long as it's done well and
it's done according to who you are, and that's my
bottom line period the end. So we're going to continue
talking about that, but I want to turn the corner
(24:40):
now before I get back to it, though, I want
to let you know, coming up after the next break,
it's a second hour of the show, so it's time
to go to the phones, time to take calls. And
so if you have a question about your home, whatever's
got you scratch in your head, you get to set
the agenda. I'm talking about trends and prediction and UH
(25:01):
movements into twenty twenty six. When it comes to our calls,
you get to set the agenda. So design, construction, DIY,
inside the house, outside, hardscape, landscape. I got you. We'll
put our heads together, we will get it figured out.
Here is the number to reach me, eight three three two.
Ask Dean A three to three, the numeral two, and
(25:22):
then you just spell out ask Dean eight three three
two Ask Dean. It's just that simple. You can listen
to the show while you're in the queue. Give us
a call. The phone lines are open right now. We'll
be going to the phones after the next break.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
So, setting aside the flippancy of come and go trends,
setting aside the way we are regularly shaped moved, one
might dare say, manipulated by corporate interests when it comes
to the home improvement market. Setting those things aside, let's
(26:00):
talk about things that are really changing. And they're changing slower,
but they are changing more substantially. And here it is,
We've had home architectural styles since the founding of this
nation that evolved from early New England East Coast forms
(26:20):
like colonial Cape cod. It moved through more ornate eras
like Victorian, which was a very long era with very
many several facets to it, and then come along the
twentieth century it moved into functional styles like craftsman, ranch,
mid century Modern, and it has kind of all culminated.
(26:43):
And they really, by the way, has not been one
new major school of design in America since mid century Modern,
unless you want to take what may be the next one,
which is just contemporary kind of Scandinavian can temporary design.
But all of that has culminated in today's popular sort
(27:05):
of well modern farmhouse would be an example of it.
It is not a major school of design. It is
simply an example of taking a more classic, nostalgic architectural
style and merging it as a hybrid into contemporary twenty
first century life. Okay, merging it with some of the
(27:28):
the movements that I'm going to be describing to you,
because that's where we're at today. So the point is,
when it comes to architecture, it doesn't matter what you like.
Whatever you like, let's go for it. Colonial Cape cod
Victorian craftsman, ranch, Rancho, Spanish, Mediterranean, French, you name it.
(27:48):
Whatever your thing is, let's take that and let's find
a way of expressing it with all of the best
parts of it's nostalgic qualities and all the best parts
of modern contemporary twenty first century building science and design
(28:09):
and what we're learning and continue to learn about the
best way to live in a home. So modern farmhouse
is just an example of that. It's gotten very popular.
A lot of people are sick of it now. I
don't care. It doesn't matter. If that's your thing, then
that's your thing. We're going to make a great modern
farmhouse for you. But modern farmhouse is a great example
because farmhouse style is nostalgic, modern is contemporary, and you
(28:33):
merge the two together and you get something. If you
do it well, that's great. So these styles, they blend.
Revivals come along, they bring historical elements back into modern builds.
But overall, the current movement is not about a singular
new look, but a fundamental shift toward homes that are
hear me no, more efficient, more personalized, and more supportive
(28:59):
of physical and mental health. These are the movements that
are happening. I'm going to repeat it. The real movement
in home design that is happening, the real one, the
one that's not going to pass away, not going to
be out at the end of twenty twenty six. It's
not going to be out ever. Homes that are more efficient,
more personalized, and more supportive of physical and mental health.
(29:25):
There is not one singular news style emerging, but shifts
that are happening in all of them towards real, personalized, healthy,
physically mentally healthy designs and more efficiency and will when
we return to this topic, I'll start spelling out how
some of those things practically work out in your home.
(29:47):
But when we come back, we've got calls on the board.
We're going to the phones. Your home with Dean Sharp,
the House Whisperer. This has been Home with Dean Sharp,
the House whisper into the live broadcast on KFI AM
six forty every Saturday morning from six to eight Pacific time,
and every Sunday morning from nine to noon Pacific time,
(30:09):
or anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app
Home with Dean Sharp News
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.